Derby delights

Every neutral and every Milanista will have been delighted to see the Rossoneri edge the derby on Sunday night. It means this Serie A battle remains one of the most open-looking for some time.

I felt it was just reward for the attacking intentions Milan posted by fielding Kaka, Pato and Ronaldinho together. Two of them combined for the game's only goal. It seemed to me Inter were happy to sit back, channel men behind the ball and play on the break. When the game required them to do anything different they could not.

I must admit, I had not expected such a strong start from Lazio or such a bad one for my tip to be a surprise - Bologna. The Laziali have two pacy front men who combine wonderfully well. I suspect the wheels will come off in the long term but probably not this weekend against Lecce. Bologna were a bit unlucky against Napoli but they don't look like much of a side.

Right, Champions League awaits. Forza Gila ancora!

Rossoneri roar back

Milan desperately needed a show of strength against high-flying Lazio on Sunday night and boy did they get one. A 4-1 trouncing with some classy goals along the way was just what Berlusconi ordered. There were still some worries at the back but at least the attacking options appeared to have been sorted.

Marco Borriello gives them a new option up front, Kaka's goal was pure quality and little Pato found the net which will boost his confidence. Zambrotta scored an absolute screamer but still not convinced about Ronaldinho. He seems to have turned up for some kind of samba holiday. He must have tried that daft pass where he looks one way and hits the ball the other about 12 times in five minutes.

Elsewhere, Roma bounced back with a win, Juve and Inter kept up their good form and Fiorentina got three vital points against Bologna. It was that man Gilardino again. How he has been reborn since his move away from Milan.

A curse upon the French!

The Viola stood on the brink of one of their greatest European results last night before the nasty football fates intervened. Well, the referee anyway.

With Luciano Zauri lying pole-axed on the floor in the penalty box after a head knock the ref failed to stop play. Then Lyon showed a distinct lack of sportsmanship by continuing to play themselves. It was child's play to roll the ball into the net with Zauri effectively playing everybody on side while clutching his head.

Yes, the Viola were naive. Yes, they should have played the whistle. Yes, they should not have tried to play the offside trap.

Just the same it left a bitter taste. Eventually Lyon equalised from being 2-0 down (from a dubious free-kick) and a draw in France ended up feeling disappointing when it should have been a good result. When my rage dies down I may realise that. In the meantime, I am furious.

A curse on Napoli

Got back to watching the Viola today after a two week break and it was the same old torture. We huffed and puffed and went ahead with a clinical Adrian Mutu finish. Only then we got caught twice and lost the game. All three points stayed in the San Paolo with Napoli.

It was a hard one to take because, I felt, we did all the attacking. The home side were happy to sit back and punch us on the break which, to be fair, they did brilliantly. Little Lavezzi was a niggling nuisance every time he got the ball.

There is a lesson there, however. Fiorentina need to get a cutting edge and quickly. It is no use bossing a game if you can't kill the opposition off. I thought that lesson should have been learned against Rangers last year. Also, we need to know how to tighten things up once we have taken a lead.

Still, it could be worse, I guess. I could be a Milan fan. They have started off dreadfully. And Roma have not done much better. Although I think the number of absentees against Palermo was a partial excuse for their failure. However, it all confirms this could really be a wide open championship race.

Come on you Martelli?

It would appear that a corner of London is talking Italian. With Slaven Bilic out the way the top contenders for the vacant West Ham job all appear to be very familiar names to followers of Serie A. As Kevin Keegan might have said after Alex Ferguson wound him up, I would "love it" if one of them was to get the post.

Bobby Mancini was a front-runner but appears to have ruled himself out. That makes way for our recently deposed CT, Roberto Donadoni. The final contender - perhaps the most intriguing appointment since he was a Chelsea legend - is Gianfranco Zola. Any one of them would make for interesting times.

The reason I would like to see one of them appointed is simple. I would actually start to care a bit about the Premiership. I kind of keep an eye on Andrea Dossena at Liverpool (sorry Trent), and I have my fantasy football side to watch out for but a manager could take things to a whole new level. They almost always bring in their own favourites which could mean an influx of Italians at Upton Park. The Claret and Azzurri could quickly become my side in England.

So, all together now, "io sto sempre soffiando bollicine, belle bollicine nell'aria..."

All five flop

It's a rare weekend in Serie A when the five would-be title contenders fail to win. Nonetheless, that is what happened on opening weekend. It could bode well for the competitive level of the year ahead.

Inter were foiled by Sampdoria and held to a draw, Roma did the same against Napoli (with some more nasty fan trouble, tsk, tsk) and Juve and Fiorentina also shared the spoils. Worst of all were Milan who lost at home to my tip to surprise Bologna.

I think the Rossoneri have a lot to sort out after performing open-heart surgery in the summer. Inter are not as far ahead of the pack as they think while Juve and the Viola were probably worth a point each (although I thought Fiorentina did most of the attacking). I didn't see much of Roma but think they have to be disappointed with not getting an opening day win.

It means Torino, Lazio, Udinese and the likes are sitting pretty at present. They get to enjoy it for at least a couple of weeks, too, as the Nazionale takes centre stage.

Good draw, bad draw?

Italy's four troops for the Champions League battle found out their group enemies yesterday. My first reaction was that they all landed pretty favourable sections. None of them will have it easy but, equally, none of them face an impossible task.

Inter, as top seeds, got the best of it, I reckon. Bremen, Panathinaikos and Anorthosis should hardly have Jose Mourinho quaking. As always, if the Nerazzurri don't progress, they only have themselves to blame. Prospects of progress: 90%

It fell to Roma to land Johnny English in the form of Chelsea. They were the Premiership side I would have preferred to avoid. I reckon Liverpool or Arsenal would have been an easier task. Still, the other group members - Bordeaux and Cluj (queue a lot of toilet jokes from the Scottish speakers out there) - are not unbeatable. Prospects of progress: 70%.

Juventus landed a more sticky looking section. Real Madrid and last season's revelation Zenit make tough contenders. I reckon the Russians were a third seed nobody wanted. Still, there was the consolation of BATE Borisov or whatever they are called as bottom dogs. The Bianconeri should still have what it takes to get through. Prospects of progress: 60%.

As a fourth seed, Fiorentina were always likely to land the toughest group but it did not go as badly as it might have. Lyon, Bayern Munich and Steaua Bucharest is not easy but not entirely out of reach. It also throws up the delightful prospect of Luca Toni coming back to Florence. All in all a real test of how the Viola are developing as a team. Prospects of progress: 35%.

First blood to Mourinho

If this was the shape of things to come, then it should be a good season. Inter and Roma stood toe to toe in the San Siro last night with the Nerazzurri just coming out on top.

It looked like being a one-sided affair after Inter got ahead through Muntari and started to play with some composure. However, they never got the extra goals they needed and Roma hit back through a De Rossi screamer (Julio Cesar might have done better).

Then up popped Mario Balotelli late in the game to turn things Inter's way again only for Mirko Vucinic to equalise once more. The final twist came from the penalty spot with Francesco Totti missing what could have been the winner for Roma. Eventually, a Juan spot-kick was saved and Javier Zanetti converted the winner for Inter. At last, a nice advert for the Italian game. And a winning start for the Special One.

Lippi II

It felt a bit like welcoming your father back home after a lengthy summer holiday. Relaxed, tanned and with a wide grin - Marcello Lippi got back to work on Wednesday. Everything is right in the world.

The 2-2 draw with Austria seemed almost incidental. The Azzurri went two goals behind and looked shaky in defence. Then they got the bit between their teeth and - thanks to a dreadful goalkeeping blunder by the Austrian goalie - salvaged a draw. It took Lippi's undefeated run to 26 games.

In pre and post-match press conferences the mighty Tuscan made you wonder why he had ever been away. To continue my earlier analogy, it all made you feel a bit sorry for your step-father Roberto Donadoni. He tried, bless him, but he just wasn't your dad.

Lippi batted away the sneaky, loaded questions the Italian media likes to pose with ease. A smile, a shrug and a suitably straight answer were just what the tifosi ordered.

Of course, there is work to be done. While Italy's qualification group for the next World Cup looks none too difficult, there are problems with a leaky defence and a generational change of players. The good news was that Roma's bra-size brothers AA (Alberto Aquilani) and the more ample DD (Daniele De Rossi) looked in fine shape. And Alberto Gilardino got one of those strange, flukey goals which always does a striker's confidence good.

Everything felt right again. That may wear off in the weeks to come but in the meantime let's enjoy it. Bentornato Marcello!

Spirito di Bati

Have we really been away so long? I guess we have. Eight years away from Europe's top competition. And what have the Viola been through in the interim?

Relegated to C2, won promotion, made the double-jump to Serie B, won a dramatic play-off, avoided immediate relegation from Serie A, flung out of a Champions League spot, handed a hefty points penalty, lost out in the UEFA Cup semi-final. Quiet times, really.

The Stadio Artemio Franchi will be THE place to be tonight when Slavia Prague visit. The atmosphere should be tremendous as the Florentine fans turn out in force to will their team through to the group stages. After the big spending of the summer, they need that financial boost.

It is also a chance for this new generation to show it can live up to the boys of the past - big Francesco Toldo, Rui Costa and, of course, the mythical Batigol. No Montolivo, he's at the Olympics, but a dream of going to the elite stages of the competition. It would be so sweet.

I reckon it will be a tough tie. Somehow the boys never do things easily. Here is hoping. Forza Viola!

The Special One strikes

It did not take long for the first mind games to begin. Jose Mourinho has picked his first victim - Claudio Ranieri. "He is about 70 and he has won a Super Cup and a little cup," he is reported to have blasted at the Juve boss. Ah, what fun!

Certainly, after the pastings some of the Italian teams have been taking pre-season, this banter between bosses might be the only fun we get this year. I never take too much out of friendly games but you have got to be worried. The gap between the Huge Debt League and the rest of Europe is getting bigger and bigger.

I hope that once the action gets under way we can find the tactics to get some decent results. Otherwise, I fear we might be watching a more and more triumphal march for the forces of England.

Et tu, Mutu?

There have been a few tormented transfer deals this summer. Ronaldo to Real, Lampard to Inter and now, it would appear, Adrian Mutu to Roma. Will he stay or will he go?

I can understand a move to Roma to some extent. Probably more money, definitely more chance of the Scudetto and automatic group stages in the Champions League. Who wouldn't?

But, then again, the Viola are a team on the rise with the Romanian at their heart. They have built him up when nobody much cared for him. I know loyalty doesn't exist any more but just the same.

The bottom line, for me anyway, is that greater players than him have left Florence and the club has moved on. Baggio, Batigol and Toni all headed on to pastures new. In the end, you support the team, not one player.

Nonetheless, he was at the very epicentre of the Viola revolution. Without him, the attack is a bit of an unknown quantity. Pazzini and Gilardino might be a perfect double act but, then again, maybe not.

Once a player gets unsettled, though, is there really much point in keeping them? Certainly not if their own fans turn against them. I suspect Mutu is simply looking to get the best deal he can - be it in Florence or Rome. You can't blame him, a footballer's career is short, etc. But that won't stop me cursing him if he does go...

Who signed Roger Rabbit?

Everyone is agreed, Milan needed to make some moves this summer. Their team looked jaded and struggled to compete last year. But, what on earth possessed them to splash out on the over-necklaced Ronaldinho?

I may be proved wrong, he may become a Rossonero legend - but I doubt it. Surely his day is done.

The only redeeming feature of the move is at least it shows Milan remain more appealing than Manchester City. It really would have been one in the eye for Serie A if he had snubbed the multi-Champions League winners for the City of Manchester stadium.

Reading between the lines this seems more like a media move than one designed to boost the team. Of course, at his best, he would be a quality addition. But even at his worst, he will shift a lot of season tickets and merchandise. It seems to have been done more to appease the fans than with any real vision of beefing up the Milan side.

Maybe I've just spent too long listening to people bore me about how great he was when he played for Barcelona. We'll see if he gets the same rave reviews now he has crossed the great divide from La Liga to Serie A.

Is he worth it?

I know he is a good player and all that but is all the ballyhoo about Frank Lampard worthwhile? Would he really transform Inter into Champions League contenders? Or is it just a show of strength from the Nerazzurri and Mourinho?

All answers gratefully received.

Welcome home Marcello...

So it appears we are back where we left off two years ago. The Donadoni era is over and back walks in the man with the Toscano cigar, Marcello Lippi. Why did we bother getting rid of him in the first place?

If he just wanted a rest, couldn't we have advertised for a caretaker for 24 months? Or maybe Dona knew that was what he was getting. Otherwise, it was precious time wasted.

The Azzurri did OK in Euro 2008 but they lacked conviction and confidence. Undoubtedly, missing Cannavaro, Pirlo and Gattuso for a big game against Spain was a tough ask. Just the same, a lot of the new men came up short in the tournament. Aquilani did little in that particular match, Di Natale seemed a long way off world class and Barzagli was a flop too. At least there was Chiellini and De Rossi to be proud of along with the old favourites like Buffon, Zambrotta, Grosso. Still unsure about Cassano but he must have a part in the way forward.

There is a lot of talk about Nesta and Totti coming back but would this really be the way to go? We have already lost a couple of years for potential progress, we need to look to the future. On the other hand, if these great players can still give something to the cause then why not? I await developments with interest.

PS - I had a great holiday under a sweltering Tuscan sun with the temperatures up to 38C. Back in Scotland now though, wind, rain and 20 degrees cooler.

I think we all know the answer

If you had the chance to knock the World Cup finalists out of Euro 2008 what would you do? Holland boss Marco Van Basten (right) has that decision to make. A simple defeat to Romania is enough to put the Azzurri and Les Bleus on the first plane home on Tuesday night. I know what I think will happen.



If Sweden and Denmark could produce a 2-2 draw to put Italy out last time around it does not seem so tricky for the Dutch to produce a more straightforward result. Does it really go against their nature? Will their natural swagger make them want to go through with three wins out of three? Will Italy be good enough to beat France anyway?




Strangely enough, Roberto Donadoni has turned to Antonio Cassano. He was the very player who ended up in tears when he found out his goal at Euro 2004 meant nothing thanks to the great Scandinavian stitch-up. Could history repeat itself? I hope not.



Finally, this blog is going to take a little break over the next ten days or so. However, I will be back in harness by the end of the European championships. I really don't expect Italy to be in contention by that stage. I have liked the look of Croatia so far - a stuffy side with a lot of technique.

Anyway, I shall return, fully recharged and ready for battle in the season ahead....

Dutch debacle

Well, that was a miserable start wasn't it?

Granted, the first goal was offside and conditioned the whole game but, just the same, the hari-kari defending was the cause of great concern. By the time we got things sorted out in the second half the horse had bolted.

The third goal was the icing on a bitter cake.

Is this penance for the World Cup? Can we still turn things around? In truth, if the Azzurri can't beat Romania they don't deserve to go any further. Failure to win that game would also put Donadoni's contract under severe pressure.

Di Natale was caught short at the highest level, Grosso should have started and I can never understand why we would go without De Rossi. The small consolation? It was only a group game - Holland were celebrating like they had won the tournament.

I WAS quite calm...

The build up was all going pretty calmly. OK, I thought, it is only the Euro Nations, not a World Cup. Does it really matter that much?

Then my cousin, the legendary Venezian, sent me this.



Of course it matters. This is Italia! Forza Azzurri! Facci sognare!

Addio capitano!

A bitter blow on the eve of the Euro Nations as Il Capitano - Fabio Cannavaro - gets injured on the training ground. A curse on Giorgio Chiellini - did the Juve man think he would get Canna's place?

There are some good replacements, of course, but none with anything like his presence and experience. Maybe "Mad Dog" Panucci will be moved to the centre (no bad thing for defending our flanks) or will the tough-nut Matrix-Barzagli combo be used?

No matter, there is a championship to be won and it is great to see he will be hanging around to give his support. You really would not expect anything less. Forza Cannavaro!

Countdown to Euro 2008

Having watched the Azzurri easily see off Belgium 3-1 in a friendly it is time to turn the attentions to more serious matters. Austria and Switzerland beckon for Euro 2008. Can Italy do the double and add the European crown to their World Cup win two years ago?

This has never been a great tournament for Italy. Our last win came in 1968. That means they have never won it in my lifetime (see, I'm not as old as you thought). It is a record it would be nice to change.

The group, of course, is tough. Holland, Romania and France present stern opposition. I'm inclined to think a winning start could be vital this time around. Hence, the pressure will be on to beat Holland next Monday night. I believe that Donadoni's men can progress but their style of play is not without its risks. If it all clicks, however, it should be good enough to go forward (with France, yet again, possibly?).

The other groups look feeble in comparison. They have done their best to get host nation Switzerland through in a group including the Swiss, Czech Republic, Portugal and Turkey. Everybody is tipping Portugal to have a great tournament (on the back of Ronaldo) but I hope they might trip up. That would leave Switzerland and the Czech Republic to progress.

Slightly stronger is Austria's section with Germany, Croatia and Poland. The poor Austrians may be the worst nation ever to host a tournament but I suspect they might sneak a draw somewhere. Just the same, it looks like it should be Germany along with either Croatia or Poland to progress. I've a hunch it could be Croatia.

Finally, Greece, Sweden, Spain and Russia go into battle. Surely, you would think, Spain can't mess up that group. Yet, I believe, that is quite within their compass. They should sneak through, my guess is along with Sweden.

If everything went to my plan you would end up with something like this in the quarter finals - Italy v Sweden, France v Spain, Czech Republic v Croatia and Germany v Switzerland. If that was the case, would it really be such a shock to get Italy v France AGAIN in the semi-final with Germany v Croatia in the other match.

After that, I don't dare to predict but you can see the way my thoughts are heading. Certainly, if Italy make it out of their group they have a good chance of getting to the final. That would be fantastic.

Forza Azzurri!